Wednesday, September 01, 2021

In MENU This Week – Aubergine, Lanzerac Pinotage, Dunes, Ginja, Wine.co.za at 25, CWG Auction







A father and his son on Hout Bay beach, reflected in the wet sand

It seems like a record. We have visited three restaurants and report on them below, as many as we have reported on in long periods in the last year and a half. As more people have their vaccinations, perhaps we can look forward to the government reducing the restrictions on curfew and sales of alcoholic beverages which will allow restaurants and wine merchants a bit more freedom to trade with resulting improvements in employment. Our record unemployment rate is one of the country’s biggest problems – government incompetence is probably the biggest – and freeing up the hospitality and related industries will go a long way in improving matters. Of course, reducing the restrictions imposed by foreign governments will also be an enormous help to our almost moribund tourist industry.  We wait with increasing impatience.

Meeting friends for a light lunch at Dunes, Hout Bay

Another chilly and windy day in Hout Bay and a promise of rain. A chance to catch up with good friends again who have been through a lot over the last few months. Where else but our favourite Dunes on the beach. Read On…

Birthday dinner at Aubergine

John proposed to Lynne when they were at a fine dining restaurant celebrating her August birthday, so each year we treat ourselves to a great dinner. When we entered the third Lock Down, Jordan Wine Estate issued another of their fantastic R600 vouchers to support the restaurant industry, for which you received a box of 6 good Jordan wines and a voucher for R600 to spend at a restaurant of your choice from their list. Aubergine has long been a favourite of ours and we had not been for several years, so we bought one. Read on… 

Rib eye special at Jinja in the V&A Hotel

Good friends phoned us to see if we wanted to join them at Ginja restaurant in the Victoria & Alfred Hotel on the dockside in the waterfront for one of the restaurant specials. Because of the curfew we arrived earlier than we would normally have done but got the benefit of seeing the Waterfront and the mountain as the sun went down. Read on…

Lanzerac Pinotage 2012

We are of the belief that South African Pinotages improve hugely the longer they age and this wine, which we opened on International Pinotage Day, August 18th, supports that view. It was absolutely at its peak. The first Pinotage, harvested in 1959 and released in 1961, was grown and made on the Bellevue Estate in Bottelary, Stellenbosch and the wine was sold under the Lanzerac label by Stellenbosch Farmers Winery. Read on…

Happy 25th Birthday, Wine.co.za

We first met Kevin Kidson and Judy Brower at the Robertson Wine Festival in 1999, when they were kind enough to allow us to share accommodation that they and a group of friends had rented on a farm between Robertson and Bonnievale. Wine.co.za, their fledgling online publication, was in its infancy as a pioneer in South Africa’s world of digital publications. Read on…

A closer look into the 2021 Nedbank CWG Auction & Protégé Auction

There will be two separate and distinct auctions this year, both will be hosted by international auction house Bonhams. Read on…

Have a most enjoyable week and stay safe, masked and, above all, vaccinated! Don’t believe the conspiracy theorists’ fake news, listen to the doctors and nurses who are dealing with the horror.



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Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Rib eye special at Jinja in the V&A Hotel

Good friends phoned us to see if we wanted to join them at Ginja restaurant in the Victoria & Alfred Hotel on the dockside in the Waterfront for one of their restaurant specials. Because of the curfew, we arrived earlier than we would normally have done but had the benefit of seeing the Waterfront and the mountain as the sun went down

It is a large restaurant with well-spaced tables and, at this time, was not too busy

and we had a great window table with views

James enjoys beer more than wine so he had a draught of CBC Amber Weiss

The deal was a Florentine (T bone), a classic cut of steak, double thick in volume, fries, a warm table salad, a truffle risotto and a bottle of Niel Joubert 2017 Grenache Blanc for the very reasonable price of R550 for two people to share. Both couples decided to try this, instead of the Prawn special. The wine is familiar to us as something you find in Portugal or Spain, but not to our friends. It was enjoyed, but perhaps not a great choice with meat, being fully matured, with lots of vanilla, ginger and rich warm stone fruits. It is a Platter 4 star wine and a Michelangelo Double Gold. The steak did rather call out for a red wine but, sadly, there was none on offer. We were given bread and butter before the food arrived 

This is the serving for two people. The warm mixed salad of roasted butternut,
sweet potato, corn and mushrooms topped with raw baby beetroot was enjoyable and necessary

The large Florentine was delicious, perfectly medium rare as requested, well seasoned and flamed over a grill. It was topped with a bone marrow butter but sadly, on such a chilly evening, it was not warm enough to melt. There was also an irresistible rich buttery brioche. The truffle risotto (in the top left corner) was exceptionally good, and the third starch of the French fries did challenged us. So some of the steak and risotto went home with us in a doggie bag. Our friends were delighted to take the bones home to their dogs

Our bill with service added for our super waitress Priscar who was nicely attentive and friendly
There was also another special (which is still running) of  16 chilli garlic queen prawns, fries, toasted ciabatta,
a table salad and a 750ml bottle of Iona Sauvignon Blanc

The deal is currently available Monday to Sunday, 12h00-21h00:
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Happy 25th Birthday, Wine.co.za



We first met Kevin Kidson and Judy Brower at the Robertson Wine Festival in 1999, when they were kind enough to allow us to share accommodation that they and a group of friends had rented on a farm between Robertson and Bonnievale. Wine.co.za, their online publication, was in its infancy as a pioneer in South Africa’s world of digital publications. We are very happy to share in their celebration, and will drink a toast to them tonight as they celebrate their silver anniversary. We receive their news by email nearly every day and they have often been the first source we have received of important events in the SA wine industry. We wish them continued success in watching the progress of our wine industry in what is certain to be a very challenging time through the next twenty-five years.

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A closer look into the 2021 Nedbank CWG Auction & Protégé Auction

There will be two separate and distinct auctions this year;
both will be hosted by international auction house Bonhams

The Protégé Programme Auction, Friday, 17th September to Monday, 4th October

Continuing the excitement of the Protégé Programme Auction held earlier this year, which introduced the theme and hashtag #BuyForTheFuture, the Guild’s second Charity Auction will raise much-needed funds to ensure that the Protégé Programme can continue its cause. By participating in this Auction, bidders will contribute towards a programme that nurtures young talent and enriches the lives of individuals who ordinarily would not have had the opportunity. Buyers will also be supporting the future of the South African wine industry. You can sign up to bid here

The 2021 Nedbank CWG Auction, Saturday 2 October 2021at 10h00 (London time)

Hosted live and online by international Auction house Bonhams, showcasing the immense diversity of world-class South African wine. All the wines are made exclusively for the Auction by CWG members who are recognised as some of South Africa's leading winemakers. All wines are tasted blind and selected by specialist panels of Guild members to ensure that only wines of excellence are offered on the Auction. Bidders will be able to bid via the Bonhams website and watch the Auction in real-time as it progresses, bid by telephone, or place proxy commission bids with Bonhams in advance.  Sign up to bid here

Information supplied by the Cape Winemakers Guild

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Sunday, August 22, 2021

Lanzerac Pinotage 2012

We are of the belief that South African Pinotages improve hugely the longer they age and this wine, which we opened on International Pinotage Day, August 18th, supports that view. It was absolutely at its peak. The first Pinotage, harvested in 1959 and released in 1961, was grown and made on the Bellevue Estate in Bottelary, Stellenbosch and the wine was sold under the Lanzerac label by Stellenbosch Farmers Winery. It was named for the Lanzerac Hotel in the Jonkershoek valley in Stellenbosch, which was not making wine at the time. The Bellevue and Lanzerac estates are about to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Pinotage and we have been invited. Lanzerac now has its own Pinotage vineyards and that is where the 2012 was made by Cellarmaster Wynand Lategan. We drank a toast with it to the memory of Duimpie Bayly, who was a great proponent of Pinotage

The nose is full of dark berries, cranberry, mulberry and prunes; there is a hint of spice and pencil shaving wood. On the palate, it is silky, juicy, fruit forward with black cherry, dark plums, prunes and milk chocolate. Complex, with a hint of salty minerality and dark licorice on the long end. It is made for serving with good food and made our meal superb. It was a great match with Lynne’s classic waterblommetjie bredie, a traditional lamb stew made with the flower buds of an indigenous water lily




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Birthday dinner at Aubergine

John proposed to Lynne when we were at a fine dining restaurant celebrating her August birthday so, each year, we treat ourselves to a great dinner. When we entered the third Lock Down, Jordan Wine Estate issued another of their fantastic R600 vouchers to support the restaurant industry, for which you received a box of 6 good Jordan wines and a voucher for R600 to spend at a restaurant of your choice from their list. Aubergine has long been a favourite of ours and we had not been for several years, so we bought one. Aubergine was closed for their winter break and have now reopened, so we were able to make a booking on Lynne's birthday last Saturday night. It was very good indeed to see Chef Harald Bresselschmidt again; we have long memories of superb meals he has produced over the years, and even back to the days when he was at Grande Roche. He told us that he has owned Aubergine for 25 years. Time goes so fast; John remembers when he opened. He had a client across the road and it was a favourite venue for a business lunch

We had booked for 7.30 and then learned about the mad rule which dictates that no alcohol is to be served or drunk after 8 pm. So we changed to 7 pm, which helped the restaurant. The room did fill up and the seats are nicely spaced apart; good for us, but not for the restaurant’s income

At the moment they have this A la Carte Menu which you can find on line at https://www.aubergine.co.za/

There are some very good choices and the Maitre d’, Johan, who really looked after us, came around to tell us about the daily specials. We actually had quite a time deciding what to have; there was so much that we love to eat on the menu. One thing we liked was the list of Vegetarian options, which can be had as a starter or a main

First to arrive was the bread platter with slices of fennel and sundried tomato sourdough and a pork rillette, rich in pork dripping. Then we were served a delicious amuse bouche from the kitchen, a tiny, tingly crisp Taco topped with really fresh tuna and avocado, perfectly dressed, and topped with a hat of mayonnaise and a coriander feather

Lynne's choice of starter was unusual for her, as soup usually fills her up, making further courses difficult. But offer duck under any guise and she is sure to succumb. Duck velouté, rich, smooth, creamy and silky, topped with an umami foam and full of layers of duck flavours. Four mini hapjes (bites) of crisp buttery toasted brioche topped with rich duck parfait, a slice of duck ham, and topped with a small button of pear gel and micro herbs, graced the edge of the bowl with some crisp duck crumbs. They were such a good foil to the soup and set her dreaming of Duck and Pancakes. Wow. The perfect starter for a chilly winter night

John, ever the carnivore, chose the Trio of beef: Carpaccio, cured, and tartare and accompanied by beetroot and balsamic. He enjoyed it very much. John is not a huge fan of beets so asked for a very small portion to be put on the plate, and that is why it is hard to spot. 

Usana The Fox Cabernet sauvignon 2014, something quite new to us, recommended to us by sommelier Ralph Reynolds. We each had one glass of this which went with both our starters and main courses. It was a classic Cabernet, full of dark, heady and concentrated berries, chalky tannins and dark wood, from the Winshaw Vineyards in Lynedoch, Stellenbosch. The 2017 was awarded 4 stars in Platter

We should mention that Aubergine's wine list is quite superb in its length and depth and will excite anyone who loves wine
They do have foreign wines as well and vintage wines, properly aged in their cellar

The other side of the table menu with second and third courses

John could not resist the special of the day;
Springbok loin, perfectly medium rare and tender, served with cubes of butternut on a bed of spinach and a rich red wine jus
The dark piece at the top was a crisp wafer of dried purée, and was delicious

Lynne really enjoyed the slow fried belly of Iberico pork, served with two slices of moist and tender pickled loin. The crackling on the belly of pork was crisp and crunchy, the fat had been nicely rendered and it was served with very buttery mash, some purple cabbage, a lemony kumquat jus and deep fried baby bay leaves

As usual we did not have need of dessert; the meal had been so satisfying
Our bill, including service and less the voucher

We do plan a return visit, hopefully with friends
We thoroughly recommend Aubergine and Chef Harald's fine cuisine
As with so many of our fine restaurants, we hope he can survive all the current uncertainties caused by a vacillating government

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Friday, August 20, 2021

Meeting friends for a light lunch at Dunes, Hout Bay

Another chilly and windy day in Hout Bay and a promise of rain
A chance to catch up with good friends again who have been through a lot over the last few months
 Where else but our favourite Dunes on the beach

Not very busy at 12.45 pm on a Tuesday, probably due to the weather



Fish (nicely fresh hake) and, as instructed, very crisp chips
John always says "make them really crisp and when you think they are done, put them back in the deep fryer"
These were magnificent and just as we like them.  The tartar sauce was good and creamy too

John likes their hamburgers and usually orders them here.  This time he did not have the bun
Topped with crisp, deep fried onion rings, with a pickle slice, tomato, lettuce and onion



The Nachos Grande to be shared by our friends
You can order chicken to go with this but our friends prefer the vegetarian version

and Ronnie could not resist the individual lemon passion fruit cheesecake, with vanilla ice cream

The bill was shared between us and came to a reasonable R350 per couple

The Marine Research vessel Ellen Khuzwayo at anchor in Hout Bay

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Sunday, August 15, 2021

In MENU This Week – Duimpie Bayly RIP, Old Mutual Trophy Spirits, Hout Bay and Big Bay beaches

Evening conversations on the beach at Camps Bay

Two important announcements, one extremely sad and distressing to all who knew Duimpie Bayly. A father of the modern South African wine industry, he died on Wednesday 11th August. Our tribute to him is part of this week’s issue. On the same day, the results of the 2021 Old Mutual Trophy Spirits competition were announced and details of that are also part of this week’s MENU. Other than that, while we have a couple of stories from the end of the week which will be part of next week’s MENU, we continue our stories of the magnificent beaches which we enjoy here in the Western Cape. We hope you’ll enjoy them and join us in celebrating the life of a giant in South African wine

Francis "Duimpie" Bayly RIP

Francis Carr Bayly, the son of a Karoo sheep farmer, became one of the fathers of the modern South African wine industry and one of its most important participants. His departure leaves an enormous void. Our thoughts are with his wife, Sue, and his family 

He was given the nickname Duimpie (Little Thumb in Afrikaans) because he was the smallest boy in his dormitory at St Andrews in Bloemfontein. The small boy grew into an immense personality. Read on…

In Great Spirits! The Results of The Old Mutual Trophy Spirits Show 2021


The results of the 3rd Old Mutual Trophy Spirits Show were announced on Wednesday 11 August. The website results page also hosts the media release and lists the Trophy and Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners, and the full list of results with scores. The Awards Photo Gallery hosts the trophy and winning bottle combinations; as well as all the gold medal bottle images. Read on…

Hout Bay beach

A day trip to Hout Bay to take a meal to a friend whose family is quarantined away from him; first, we had a lovely walk on the beach in a clear midwinter day. The Sentinel mountain was facing incoming rainy weather for the next day. Read on…

Big Bay Saturday

We needed another quick and safe escape from home and the day was really lovely for mid winter, so we headed off to Big Bay on the Blouberg shore of Table Bay for a bite of lunch. Read on…

Have a most enjoyable week and stay safe, masked and, above all, vaccinated! Don’t believe the conspiracy theorists’ fake news, listen to the doctors and nurses who are dealing with the horror.



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In Great Spirits - The Results of The Old Mutual Trophy Spirits Show 2021


The results of the 3rd Old Mutual Trophy Spirits Show were announced this afternoon, Wednesday 11 August. You can find them here: OMTSS 2021 Results as well as on the @oldmutualtrophyspirits Instagram and Facebook platforms, and on YouTube.

The website results page also hosts the media release and lists the Trophy and Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners, and the full list of results with scores. The Awards Photo Gallery hosts the trophy and winning bottle combinations; as well as all the gold medal bottle images.

There are 15 Trophies and 8 Gold, 39 Silver and 49 Bronze medal winners.

The scores are calibrated as follows:

Trophy: 95 points and over – the highest scoring gold medal in its class
Gold: 95 points and over (superlative, world class)
Silver: 90 – 94 (excellent, spirit of distinction)
Bronze: 85 – 89 (good to very good)

The animation will remain on the site and the social media platforms for you to watch at any time hereafter. 

The judging panel for this year’s competition comprised industry experts, award-winning brandy masters, veteran international spirits judges and a new wave of cocktail and mixology mavens. The 2021 judges were Dr Caroline Snyman, Pieter de Bod, Neil Paterson, Kobus Gelderblom, Kurt Schlechter, Mare-Loe Prinsloo, Bradley Jacobs, Dave Gunns and Julian Short. Show convenor Michael Fridjhon was Chairman of the Judges.

Pour yourself a glass of something delicious and celebrate the #OMTSS2021 winners. Cheers!

Janice Fridjhon and The Old Mutual Trophy Spirits Show Team



Posted by MENU at 3:40 pm 0 comments

Francis "Duimpie" Bayly RIP

Francis Carr Bayly, the son of a Karoo sheep farmer, became one of the fathers of the modern South African wine industry and one of its most important participants. His departure leaves an enormous void. Our thoughts are with his wife, Sue, and his family 

He was given the nickname Duimpie (Little Thumb in Afrikaans) because he was the smallest boy in his dormitory at St Andrews in Bloemfontein. The small boy grew into an immense personality. 

After studying for a BSc at Stellenbosch, he joined Stellenbosch Farmers Winery in 1962, where he was employed to analyse wine samples in the laboratory. This helped to develop his interest in and love of wine and his next step was enrolling at the University of California, Davis, to study viticulture and wine making. He returned to Stellenbosch Farmers Winery with an American MSc degree and an American wife, Sue

At SFW, he was involved in vineyard selection and in negotiating contracts with grape-growers as well as in making wine. He was responsible for many of the wines which built SFW’s reputation as a producer of quality wines. Travels to other parts of the wine world improved his wide knowledge and helped to develop his very fine palate. At the inception of the Cape Wine Academy’s Cape Wine Master programme in 1984, he was one of the first three Cape Wine Masters with Bennie Howard and Dave Hughes

From his early time at SFW, which evolved into Distell, he became a Director of Distell as well as having influential positions on the boards of numerous important wine and agricultural industry bodies. He was an enthusiastic promoter of South Africa's red wine varietal, Pinotage. The SA National Wine Show (SANWS), presenters of the Veritas Awards, has announced that the Award for the overall Champion Wine of the competition, the Veritas Vertex Award, will be named the Duimpie Bayly Vertex Award in future. In this way he will be honoured for his immense contribution to South African wine, the SA National Young Wine Show and the Veritas Awards. He was a former Chairman of the SANWS 

He died at home, of a heart attack. He was 81 years old and always young at heart, as these photographs, the most recent we have taken of him, show. Undoubtedly, it was his gentle, loving nature and huge sense of fun that made him very attractive to women – many of the photographs we have taken of him are with women

with Sue, his wife of 50 years, at Plaisir de Merle, February 2020

at the 2019 Terroir Awards

with Blaauwklippen winemaker and Old Mutual Trophy judge Narina Cloete

with Maryna Calow, Communications Manager of Wines of South Africa

and presenting the awards with Bennie Howard CWM

At the 2018 Cape Winemakers Guild Auction with Johan Malan of Simonsig and Jan Boland Coetzee of Vriesenhof




At Meerendal, February 2020 with David Biggs, Bennie Howard and Dave Hughes,
the white-bearded men of South African wine

and being serious at the 40th Anniversary of the Cape Wine Academy in 2019

Receiving a special Honorarium from Beyers Truter
"in recognition of his Exceptional contribution to the development of Pinotage, South Africa's unique cultivar"

All the Cape Wine Masters who were attending the 2020 new Cape Wine Masters Graduation Luncheon at Nederburg
Duimpie has joined Allan Mullins, sitting next to him, at the great wine cellar in infinity
Two huge losses to the South African wine industry







Posted by MENU at 2:29 pm 0 comments
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